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Mush'ar
The term Mush'ar '''(derived from the Darnassian "mush'a", meaning "hunter") '''refers to the lightly armored horse-warriors of the Lyuudri. The heyday of the mush'ar was between 5000 and 3000 PC - that is, prior to the rise of the Empire of Arathor, whose armored knights proved more than a match for the light cavalry. However, mush'ar can still be found in certain regions of the world, namely the Taurym Peninsula of Vildskanor, where they fight alongside the Cossari in service of the Ciernic Empire. Lordaeronian Mush'ar The Mush'ar of northern Lordaeron were active from 5,000 PC to 2800 PC, but today are considered defunct. Most swore fealty to the Dróttinn of the Qusintasi dynasty and were utilized as raiders and occupying forces throughout Tirisfal Glades. They flew a variety of banners, but the most common was rose-colored and mounted on the saddles of horses, bearing the inscription "Great is Elune" in bastardized Darnassian. They seemed to have acted as a middle service class in the Dróttinnate, standing well above the average peasant socially but subservient to both Elunite shaman and the Dróttinn's inner circle. The advent of armored knights seems to have rendered them obsolete in the Empire of Arathor, which greatly favored heavy cavalry tactics over the lighter horseman-raider. Some individual mush'ar tribes may have survived the Dróttinnate's fall, particularly in the mountains of Alterac and western Silverpine, but none are active today. Vildskanoric Mush'ar The Mush'ar of Vildskanor were primarily dwellers of the steppes on the southeastern side of the continent, sharing the region with the Cossari. Though the Mush'ar typically bore better arms and followed more advanced military doctrine than early Cossari clans (due to their indoctrination by the Highborne), the Mush'ar lacked the numbers to make significant progress in battling the Cossari, and by 5000 PC were relegated primarily to the Taurym Peninsula, where the Dorhajin dynasty offered some protection and stability. As part of the regional Dróttinnate, they acted as raiders across the steppes, engaging with enemies as far as Urgorod. Unlike the Lordaeronian mush'ar, the mush'ar in Vildskanor were fairly fractured, typically acting on the commands of individual chieftains and only mustering to the Dróttinn's side in emergencies. This loose structure resulted in occasional breaches of a non-aggression pact concluded between the Dróttinn and the Grand Prince of Kyigorod around 2000 PC, as individual mush'ar chieftains would lead raids into protected territory. In 1569 PC, the mush'ar were all mustered as part of the Unknown Dróttinn's defense of the Dróttinnate in the War of Urkrayya Unification, an effort ultimately doomed to failure. Many mush'ar tribes were disarmed, lost leaders, or were killed off entirely, and in the aftermath of the war cultural repression dismantled many tribes. The remaining mush'ar can be easily divided into two categories. Kasivy Mush'ar The Kasivy Mush'ar, typically known to those in the Ciernic Empire simply as the Mush'ar, are mush'ar tribes that have integrated into Cossari society. While still maintaining some cultural traditions and identity, these mush'ar have accepted Govoric Orthodoxy and are more of an irregular military division than a cultural group. They are technically separate from the main military arm of the Ciernic Empire, instead answering directly to the Prince of Kasimirsk, but the Principality of Kasivy has long since been under the personal rule of the Tsar, making the distinction between the Ciernic military and the Kasivy military moot. Usually deployed alongside mainstream Cossari light cavalry regiments, the mush'ar employ a variety of traditional and Cossari tactics. Some tribes of Kasivy Mush'ar still exist as nomadic bands on the banks of the River Din, as did their ancestors, but most have settled in or around the great settlements of Kasimirsk and Malyy Cossarvy. Kholoda Mush'ar The Kholoda Mush'ar, or the Black Mush'ar, are semi-independent mush'ar tribes that dwell east of Diellyok. These mush'ar consider themselves the true descendants of the ancient mush'ar of Vildskanor, claiming to descend from the legendary hero of the War of Urkrayya Unification Kuro Getsuei - "Black Moon" - but even they have suffered cultural diffusion with the Cossari. They identify Chernevog, the Govoric god of darkness and malevolence, as their patron god; some also identify the moon as His bride, in a bastardization of their ancient faith. Regardless of their exact religious affiliation, these mush'ar typically isolate themselves from civilized Kasivy in tribal warbands, surviving off the land and occasionally launching vicious raids against eastern cities such as Falornar. The Princes of Kasimirsk have many times attempted to wipe out the Black Mush'ar, and are often successful in destroying the most active and violent clans. However, even in the lands they so often attack, the Black Mush'ar have taken on a mythic or folkloric quality, some faint but visceral memory of an age past, and townsfolk have been known to hide Black Mush'ar from authorities, enough to reconstitute the tribes in subsequent years. It is unknown how many active Black Mush'ar warbands there are on the Taurym Peninsula, but it is known that there are some at least.Category:Military Organizations Category:Lyuudri